1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of irrigation sprinkler systems and more particularly to an adjustable riser for coupling an irrigation sprinkler to a water supply line, wherein the riser allows for elevational positioning of the sprinkler to be adjusted quickly and easily to a desired height relative to the surrounding ground level.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, conventional irrigation sprinkler systems have been employed wherein a plurality of individual irrigation sprinkler heads or units are connected with a water supply line in order to provide irrigation water to a selected terrain area. The supply line is often buried underground and is coupled by various joints and extending risers to the individual sprinkler unit or head. The length of the risers are individually chosen to achieve partial or full exposure of the individual sprinkler unit at a selected height relative to the ground level in accordance with the buried depth of the supply line as well as the type and height of the specific surrounding vegetation, such as a grass lawn or the like. When the irrigation system is initially installed, it is normally required to provide risers of several different lengths or alternately to cut individual risers to custom length.
The ground level and height of vegetation changes over time so that the water discharge from the sprinkler system is blocked or is substantially interfered with so that inefficient irrigation results. For example, soil and organic matter can build up or erode from the vicinity of individual sprinkler units, resulting in a need to adjust the elevational position of one or more sprinkler units. Moreover, vegetation, such as shrubs, grass, or the like grows significantly, or taller vegetation can be trimmed to a shorter height or otherwise replaced with shorter plants to result in a need to adjust the elevational position of one or more sprinkler units. In a typical irrigation system, such positional adjustment has required removal and replacement of risers, with at least some attendant digging to expose the varied water supply line, in order to access and replace risers as well as other components.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a means for adjusting the height of a sprinkler unit with respect to ground level or with respect to height of vegetation and such adjustment means should not entail removal of earth or merely replacement of irrigation sprinkler units. Means for adjusting the height of risers and sprinkler heads should be inherent in the structure of the riser, so that manual grasping of the riser and rotational or linear movement performs the adjustment procedure.
Accordingly, the present invention pertains to an improved adjustable riser for coupling an irrigation sprinkler head or unit to a water supply line, wherein the elevational position of the sprinkler can be vertically raised or lowered quickly and easily without requiring replacement of component parts, unburying the sprinkler head or riser itself, and wherein the adjustment means forms an integral component of the sprinkler riser so that a unitary construction is obtained.
Accordingly, the above problems and difficulties are avoided by the present invention which provides an adjustable riser for quickly and easily adjusting the. elevational position of an irrigation sprinkler with respect to the surrounding ground level and/or with respect to the height of surrounding vegetation to be irrigated. In one form of the invention, the riser unit includes a movable cartridge within an internal bore of a housing having a plurality of catches. outwardly projecting from the exterior wall of the cartridge and adapted to resiliently snap into or out of grooves or notches carried on the inner wall surface of the bore movably supporting the cartridge. The sprinkler head or nozzle is carried on a tube for discharging water while the opposite end of the tube includes an impact plate against which water pressure from the supply impacts. Upon impact, the tube with the sprinkler head is forced upward within a housing against expansion of a coil spring, which normally urges the tube and sprinkler head into a storage position within the housing.
In another form of the invention, linear adjustment of the riser unit, including the sprinkler head and its tube, is effective by incorporating the cartridge with the catches movable within a toothed groove formed in the inner wall of the riser housing. The groove includes spaced-apart spiral teeth which are selectively engageable by the catches of the cartridge. Each of the catches are resiliently provided in the cartridge and are yieldably urged into the notches or grooves for selective engagement with the teeth thereof.
Also, envisioned is the use of compressible or expandable tubing as well as the feature of incorporating separate lengths of riser and sprinkler housing components for achieving the desired sprinkler nozzle height.
Therefore, it is among the primary objects of the present invention to provide a novel irrigation system having sprinkler heads or nozzles which are carried on an adjustable means for elevational positioning of the sprinkler nozzle above the ground or vegetation level.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel adjustable means for sprinkler heads which includes a rotary adjustment whereby the spring-loaded catches engage with internal teeth on the inner wall of the riser housing whereby not only can the height of the sprinkler nozzle be adjusted above ground or vegetational level but the selected elevation is releasably maintained until it is desired to readjust.
Still another object resides in providing a manually adjustable height mechanism for a sprinkler nozzle whereby the riser unit for the sprinkler head includes releasable catch means for holding the sprinkler head at a desired height after vertical adjustment.
Still a further object resides in an irrigation system employing a plurality of sprinkler units which are connected to a main water supply by means of flexible conduits or piping that may be readily compressed to shorten or expanded to lengthen the piping.
Yet another object resides in providing an automatic adjustment system for manually adjusting the height of a sprinkler head above the level of ground or vegetation which includes the use of selected lengths of riser and sprinkler components so that when combined together provide a desired height for the sprinkler nozzle or head.